Personnel both from the Philippine Red Cross and the provincial government are mobilized to distribute rice assistance to the affected residents in all the villages in ten municipalities and one city of the province. Local officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development also joined the Red Cross personnel to witness the rice distribution in the villages.

Right after the declaration that put the entire province of Davao Oriental under state of calamity, the provincial government have immediately distributed rice assistance to residents, especially the farming families, who are badly hit by the continuing long dry spell that have already took a heavy toll especially on the province’s agricultural production.

Davao Oriental Governor Corazon Malanyaon has ordered the fast and immediate distribution of rice assistance, saying that the affected residents badly needed the government assistance.

Personnel both from the Philippine Red Cross and the provincial government have already been mobilized and have started the distribution of rice assistance to the affected residents in all the villages in ten municipalities and one city of the province. Local officials of the Department of Social Welfare and Development also joined the Red Cross personnel to witness the rice distribution in the villages.

Governor Malanyaon cited a report by the Provincial Agriculture Office that showed an extensive damage to agricultural products and livestocks in ten municipalities and one city of the province.

In compliance with the law, the Provincial Government has ensured that the rice distribution is free of politics

“It is evident that even until to date, the province is experiencing tremendous dry spell brought about by the El Nino phenomenon, causing damages to our economy and ecology… Furthermore, reports from the Provincial Agriculture Office confirm the substantial damages to our agricultural products province-wide,” says Governor Malanyaon.

The severe weather phenomenon has already damaged more than 3,000 hectares of agricultural lands. The provincial government has initially placed the amount of damage at P42.1 million. The Local Government Code of 1991 states that the five percent calamity fund can be used by the local government units for relief, rehabilitation and other works or services in connection with calamities which may occur during the budget year, provided that there is a Sanggunian resolution declaring a state of calamity over the province, city or municipality.

In response to the calamity, the Philippine Red Cross together with personnel from the Provincial Government were mobilized to spearhead the distribution of rice in different barangays.

Based on official records from the provincial government, there are 3,294 families in the municipality of Boston who will get the rice assistance. In the nearby town of Cateel, there are 10,031 families who will receive the rice assistance from the provincial government. In the town of Baganga, 13,891 families; Caraga town, 9,597 families; in the town of Manay, 10,550 families; Tarragona, 6,674 families; in the provincial capital City of Mati, 32,797 families; San Isidro, 8,430 families; in the municipality of Governor Generoso, 13,097 families; in the town of Lupon, 16,048 families; and in the town of Banaybanay, 10,171 families. A total of 134,580 families in the whole province are entitled to receive the rice assistance from the provincial government.

“Projected by major weather stations/bureaus here and abroad as potentially among the strongest, the effects of what is said to be a still-growing El Nino condition is now being felt in our province especially the searing heat and the dry condition, this event will certainly be difficult to bear,” says Governor Malanyaon.